Let’s be honest—Christmas can be stressful. Between the cooking, the wrapping, the parties, and trying to keep everyone fed and happy, it sometimes feels like we need two of us just to get through the day. Unfortunately, cloning technology isn’t quite ready yet , so the next best thing is planning ahead. That’s why I love recipes you can make in advance—they save so much stress and let you enjoy the day instead of just working through it. This Christmas 3-Tier Pavlova feeds 10, stunning, and actually doable if you make it ahead. I serve with plenty of cream, berries and my easy strawberry sauce!
Why Make This Ahead?
The magic of this pavlova is that it’s elegant, festive, and perfect for a Christmas table—but it doesn’t have to be made on the day.
- Make the disks ahead: They’ll keep for up to 1 week if stored correctly (see storage details below).
- Prep the toppings in advance: Whipped cream, berries, and festive decorations can all be prepped a few hours ahead.
- Assemble when ready: Just a few minutes and your show-stopping dessert is ready to impress.
This approach means less rushing, less stress, and more time to actually enjoy Christmas with your family.
Tips for Success
- Storage: Store pavlova disks in an airtight container at room temperature, they hate moisture so do not store in the fridge or anywhere humid. They’ll stay crisp and lovely for up to a week.
- Assemble close to serving: Pavlova loves to stay crunchy on the outside and soft inside, so layer the cream and fruit right before serving.
- Make it festive: Use red and green fruits, chocolate shavings, or edible glitter to give it that extra Christmas wow factor.
Final Thoughts
Christmas baking doesn’t have to be chaotic. With a little planning and make-ahead magic, you can create a stunning 3-Tier Pavlova that feeds 10 and looks like it came straight from a bakery. The best part? You get to enjoy the day rather than spend it in the kitchen.
Save this recipe, prep ahead, and enjoy a stress-free festive season! Don’t forget to tag @littleloucooks with all your festive bakes!
Christmas 3-Tier Pavlova
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 large egg whites
- 500 g caster sugar or sugar alternative like stevia/erythritol
- 4 teaspoons cornflour
- 2 teaspoons white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- To finish:
- 600 ml double cream whipped
- 2 punnets fresh strawberries 500g total, sliced
- 1 large punnet fresh raspberries 300g
- Sprigs of rosemary to decorate
- Lots of Strawberry sauce – see recipe linked above
Instructions
- Preheat the oven 140ºC fan. Prepare the 2 large baking tins with parchment paper. Take 3 plates of different sizes, 10 inch, 8 inch 4 inch approximately, draw around the plates with a sharpie pen then turn the paper over on the tray to see the outline on the opposite side. Set the trays to one side.
- Make sure the bowl and whisk is spotlessly clean. Use a standing mixer or hand held beater, add the egg whites and beat for a few minutes, add the sugar a spoon at a time until incorporated. Continue to beat until the mix is thick and glossy, test that it’s thick by turning the bowl upside down, it shouldn’t be runny.
- Add in the cornflour, vinegar and vanilla, and stir through the mix with a spatula.
- Scoop the mix out of the bowl and onto the circles. Use a flat spatula to spread out the mix evenly.
- Turn the oven down to 130ºC fan and bake for 1 hour. Turn the oven off after this time, DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR. Leave the pavlova disks to cool completely, leave them OVERNIGHT if you can.
- To assemble: Place the biggest disk on a big plate, top with whipped cream, scatter some raspberries, strawberries, repeat, drizzle with strawberry sauce and decorate with rosemary and dust with icing sugar.
- Make ahead storage: The cooked dried pavlova disks will keep for up to 1 week in an airtight container on the counter top.Store in deep baking trays covered with a lid or foil or cling film. Try not to squash them.
